Today is officially the first day of summer, and boy, oh boy do I have the recipe to celebrate it!

The cold brew technique is combined with creamy coconut milk to create the most delicious and authentically coffee-flavored ice cream. This idea has been brewing (pun intended) since last summer. After seeing how many of you loved my Coffee and Coconut Milk Popsicles, I knew some scoopable and spoonable creamy dairy-free and vegan ice cream needed to happen. Thanks to a reader who shared her method of soaking coffee grounds in coconut milk to impart a coffee flavor to her popsicles, I decided to go ahead and create a full fledged recipe around the idea.

Just like my original popsicle recipe, this ice cream is made with simple ingredients, and is dairy free, egg free, vegan, and refined sugar free. You’re going to need a couple cans of coconut milk, a handful or two of medjool dates, and vanilla extract. Instead of using instant coffee granules, you’ll soak fresh coffee grounds (the bolder, the better) in lite canned coconut milk (this is the cold brew part) overnight, or up to two days. Strain the grounds, and voila! Real coffee flavor infused coconut milk.

I’ve included several options for preparing your ice cream, depending on what kind of equipment you’re working with. You can churn it in an ice cream maker, freeze it in cubes and blend the cubes in a Vitamix (my personal favorite), go the no-churn route, or simply freeze as popsicles. I have a reader who likes to make my popsicle recipe and instead of freezing, she mixes in a little almond milk to thin it out and drinks it as a latte. Really. So. Many. Options.

Cold brew ice cream enjoyment awaits you, my friends! Happy Summer!!

Cold Brew Coffee & Coconut Milk Ice Cream – Dairy Free, Egg Free, Vegan, Sugar Free

Active Prep time: 15 – 20 minutes

Total Prep time: 1 – 2 days (soaking time)

Ingredients:

• 1 can lite coconut milk (or 1 1/2 cups high-protein plant milk such as Silk Nut and Protein Milk, Bolthouse Farms Plant Protein Milk, or Ripple Pea Milk)
• 1/2 cup ground coffee (I used fresh, course ground, but any should work)
• 1 can full fat coconut milk or coconut cream (I didn’t notice a huge difference when testing the two)
• 6-8 soft pitted medjool dates or 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Add the coffee grounds to a large jar or lidded container, and pour in the lite coconut milk or high-protein plant milk. Stir or add the lid and shake. Set in the fridge for 12 – 48 hours. I like to give it a stir or shake a couple times during the brewing phase.
2. Strain the coffee/coconut milk mixture through a fine mesh strainer, multiple layers of cheesecloth over a strainer, or a nut milk bag (nut milk bag is the easiest option here if you have it).
3. Add your strained coffee coconut milk and the remaining ingredients to your blender. Blend until very smooth. At this point, I like to chill the mixture in the fridge for an hour or two, but this is optional.

Now you’re ready to freeze/churn your ice cream! You have a few options.

If you have a Vitamix or high speed blender: Pour ice cream mixture into 3 silicone ice cube trays (or any shallow container) and freeze. Once frozen, pop the cubes into your Vitamix and blend, using the tamper to push the cubes into the blades. Once blended, you can eat it immediately as soft serve or spoon the mixture into a freezer safe container and freeze until firm enough to scoop. Note: I have also used this technique fairly successfully years ago using a good food processor to blend the cubes, but you’ll have to decide if your FP is up to the task.

If you have a ice cream maker: Follow your manufacturers instructions and churn until soft serve consistency. Enjoy right away or spoon mixture into a freezer safe container and allow to firm up in the fridge for an hour or two.

If you’re going the no-churn route: Simply pour the liquid mixture into a freezer safe container and then allow to freeze completely. You’ll then need to take the container out and allow to thaw a bit (this method is my least favorite by the way!) until you’re able to scoop it out. It’ll be icy and not quite as smooth, but still tastes great!

If all else fails, there’s always the popsicle method: Just pour the liquid mixture into popsicle molds, freeze, and enjoy. You’re basically making this recipe, but with the cold brew technique instead of instant coffee.

Notes:

If you want to enjoy coffee ice cream sooner, rather than later, skip the cold brew technique and use instant coffee granules. I’d start with 2-3 tsp, taste, and add more if desired.

Dandy Blend is a completely caffeine-free and herbal alternative to regular or instant coffee.

Plenty of fat, and/or a combo of protein and fat is what makes ice cream creamy and delicious. Subbing in other, lower fat dairy-free milks will yield icy results. You’ve been warned!

If you have any other questions about this recipe, please don’t be afraid to ask! I’ve made it about 10 different ways and maybe a dozen times, so I can tell you what works and what definitely does not work!